By the Finger of God!

Thursday, March 27, 2025

Jer 7:23-28; Lk 11:14-23

Today’s Gospel shows how evil can thrive in the suppression of goodness. 

Jesus encounters a disbelieving crowd whose arguments reveal apathy and indifference toward the goodness of Jesus. 

1.In the first instance, the good deed of Jesus is discredited. The suspect crowd is worried about the source and origin of Jesus’ miracle, overlooking the vivid signs of the mute man speaking and the amazement of the crowd. It is strange that the one who made the mute man speak was silenced by those who disbelieved. The silence of the good and the loudness of evil are truly dangerous for any society. 

2. The disbelieving crowd accuses that Jesus has a partnership with the Beelzebul to perform the cure. They are not convinced by Jesus’ explanation that ‘a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand.’ When Jesus invokes the miracles of exorcism done by their own people, the crowd goes silent. It is when the truth needs defense that the wicked go silent. This is why the German-American philosopher Hannah Arendt said, ‘Evil thrives on apathy and cannot survive without it.’

3. Equal disbelief is shown by those who demand a sign from heaven. The particular demand for a sign is so offensive to Jesus despite his proof that he drives out demons ‘by the finger of God.’ In essence, by disbelieving in Jesus, the crowd disbelieves the work of God that only manifests itself through goodness. Why would the crowd refuse to accept Jesus if his work of goodness symbolized God? Unwillingness to accept the good makes us evil. 

The persecution of the good reflects the struggle of Jesus, whose goodness is smothered by pointless arguments, jealousy, and bias. 

Let us pray that we may have the generosity to befriend and celebrate the good. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar